How to dry walnuts after picking. Drying walnut

How to dry walnuts correctly, is there a certain technology? We have studied several proven methods and put together detailed instructions for you! Now you can properly collect and dry the kernels, keeping not only the unique taste, but also all the useful qualities intact.

When and how is it collected

In this review, you will learn how to properly dry walnuts - but first, let's talk about why this step is needed at all. You need to dry the nuts before splitting - this is a very important procedure that allows you to remove excess moisture and prevent the processes of decay and spoilage. You can extend the shelf life of the product, preserve the taste and useful properties.

Before you figure out how and how much to dry a walnut, you need to collect ripe fruits. The collection procedure begins when the ripe nuts are already falling to the ground, but it will be difficult to determine the exact time! Let's try to discuss the main parameters:

• Harvested at the end of August and left to ripen for 2-3 weeks in a cool, dry and dark place;
• Late September - early October. Such fruits do not need ripening.

Of course, in many respects the collection time depends on the variety. Early-ripening nuts are harvested in summer, late-ripening varieties are harvested from trees only in autumn.

You can focus on such factors - they will tell you that it's time to harvest:

• The foliage of the tree began to turn yellow;
• The shells were covered with cracks;
• The shell turned from green to yellowish, acquired softness.

The harvested crop ripens or immediately goes to processing - remove the green skin! Don't forget to wear gloves so you don't stain your hands with the brown pigment, which is very difficult to wash off.

Now it's time to learn how to properly dry walnut kernels! We know several ways, which we will describe in detail. Are we getting started?

How to dry in an electric dryer

Drying walnuts in the shell is available using a special device - an electric dryer can be purchased at hardware stores or large markets. Usually intended for drying fruits and vegetables, but can be used for nuts.

The principle of operation is as follows: the heated air flow under the action of the fan moves in different directions, heating the fruits from all sides. The temperature depends on the model of the device - it usually fluctuates around + 50 ... + 70C.

Found a dryer at home or successfully purchased a device? Let's figure out what needs to be done to dry walnuts with high quality!

• Take out the plastic trays and arrange the kernels in their shells;
• Lay out neatly in one layer - it is advisable to leave some free space;
• Load the pallets into the electric dryer;
• Activate the mode according to the instructions of the device;
• Wait for the end of the process - it will take about 5-6 hours.

Of course, this is not the only way to dry walnuts at home! We can use more trivial methods - let's turn to familiar kitchen appliances.

How to dry in the oven

The oven has been used for this purpose for many years - this is an easy and affordable way to get the desired result! You can place both whole kernels and the core, freed from the shell - consider both options.

Let's start by telling you how to dry walnuts, previously peeled:

• Preheat the oven to 50C (no more - otherwise bitterness will appear in the taste);
• Arrange the kernels on a dry, clean baking sheet in one layer, leaving free space;
• Place the tray in the oven and leave for 20-30 minutes;
• Periodically, the nuts need to be stirred so that they dry evenly.

To properly dry walnuts in an oven with a shell, you need to maintain the optimum temperature. Do not set too high values ​​- you risk burning or boiling the kernels. We do not need this, so we act according to simple instructions!

• Wash the fruits and dry thoroughly;
• Carefully spread the nuts on a baking sheet in an even layer, sorting by size;
• Preheat the oven to 40 degrees and put the tray;
• Leave the fruits to lie for three hours with the door ajar;
• Half an hour before the end of the process, increase the temperature to 60 degrees;
• Take out and cool the kernels!

Carefully crack open the shell - if it breaks easily, you've reached the right level of doneness!

Congratulations, you were able to dry the shelled walnuts in the oven. Consider the third available method?

How to dry outdoors

The oldest way to dry a walnut after picking is naturally, in the sun and fresh air. This method has a drawback, this is the strongest influence of weather conditions - therefore, it is worth choosing dry sunny days. Carefully study the forecast, rains and fogs, you don’t need abundant dew - you risk spoiling the product with excessive moisture!

Drying walnuts in the shell in the sun is as follows:

• Cover the ground with a tarp, greenhouse film or other dense material;
• If possible, use wooden boxes with a slatted bottom - they provide excellent air circulation;
• Scatter the fruits over the surface in an even layer;
• Turn three to four times a day.

The process takes 3-6 days, subject to sunny weather and an average temperature of 30C. It is better to cover the nuts at night to protect them from moisture.

If necessary, you can dry the walnuts in the attic or in the basement (suddenly, bad weather conditions were taken by surprise). Place the kernels on a slatted surface to provide airflow and leave to lie for 10-12 days.

There was a need to dry the walnuts in the shell in the apartment? A dry room with a temperature of 27-30C is suitable! Spread the kernels in a single layer on thick paper or newspaper - the process will take about 10 days. It is recommended to periodically ventilate the room.

How to pan dry

You already know how to dry walnuts at home! Above, we talked about how to use the oven for peeled kernels, but there is another option. You can dry the fruits in a pan:

• Heat a thick-walled skillet without oil;
• Throw in the chopped nuts;
• Leave them to dry for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ready! Nothing complicated, are you sure? You can also use the natural method:

• Place the peeled kernels in a container and place to dry under direct sunlight;
• Periodically stir and move the nuts;
• In 2-3 days you will achieve the desired result!

We told you how you can dry walnuts in the shell and without it - finally, let's talk about the quality of the finished product!

How to understand readiness

Have you followed all the proper procedures? Now you need to make sure that the nuts have reached the right level - if you do not finish drying the fruit, it will begin to mold and rot. To check the quality, it is necessary to split the shell of at least two kernels:

• Check for moisture;
• Evaluate the density of the consistency - there should not be any softness;
• Make sure the membranes are dry and the flesh breaks easily and is crunchy;
• The color should be even, brown;
• The taste is pleasantly sweet, without bitter notes.

If the nuts do not meet the specified parameters, you need to dry them for some more time!

We discussed in detail how and at what temperature to dry walnuts, we found suitable natural and artificial methods! You just have to choose the appropriate option to achieve an impressive result on your own and enjoy a unique taste.

A tasty and healthy product that can be grown on your site or purchased at many retail outlets. To preserve its properties, after harvesting, the fruits must be dried. Features of the process and further storage are described below.

When and how to collect nuts

A biological sign of the ripeness of a culture can be considered the shedding of nuts to the ground when the pericarp cracks. Cracking usually starts with nuts located on the lower branches of the tree. An additional sign is the yellowing of the foliage.

Video: How to dry a walnut

On air

The most simple and not requiring special resources method prescribes the following sequence of actions:

1. In a sunny area, cover the ground with a suitable dense material, such as a tarp. If possible, it is better to use boxes with a slatted bottom, which will ensure air circulation.
2. Arrange the clean nuts in a single layer.
3. Dry in the sun. When laying on the material 2-3 times a day, it is desirable to mix.

Drying in air, on sunny days at a temperature of about + 30 ° C, takes 3-5 days. The main disadvantage of this method is the likelihood of precipitation and a decrease in the average daily temperature; you cannot dry the nuts even in conditions of fog or heavy dew. It is recommended to cover the fruits at night to avoid exposure to sudden changes in temperature and humidity. Often drying is transferred under the roof, using non-residential premises, such as an attic. For this work, the nuts must be placed on a wire rack to allow air to enter.

A crop of modest size can also be dried in an apartment, while the fruits can be laid out on paper or newspaper, periodically airing them. The temperature in the room where the fruits will lie should be about + 27 ° C.

In the oven

With such drying of nuts, it should be taken into account that the optimal exposure temperature is +55…+57°C, and the maximum allowable temperature is +62°C. The higher the initial moisture content of the product, the lower the drying temperature should be. For the oven, the fruits are pre-sorted by size, then placing the same on a baking sheet.

Important! To make sure the work is complete, a few nuts need to be cracked and the condition of the kernel checked. If it is still not dry enough, drying should continue.

• warm the nuts at a temperature of +40 ... + 45 ° C for about 2.5 hours, leaving the door ajar;
• for the last half an hour, increase the temperature to +60°C.

In an electric dryer

In the assortment of household appliances stores you can find electric dryers for vegetables and fruits, which are not forbidden to be used for walnuts. The temperature maintained by the electric dryer depends on the model of the device. Infrared models work at a temperature of about +50°C, and convection models - up to +70°C. The regulator should select the temperature closest to the desired temperature for nuts. Nuts are cracked on the plastic pallets included in the kit and then follow according to the instructions for the device. In such a device, drying will take about 5-6 hours.

Are the nuts ready, how to check

To check readiness, you need to get the kernels of several nuts and examine the inside of the shell. The following signs will indicate the readiness of the product:

• the core is dry, of a dense consistency, easily broken;
• pleasant taste and thin skin;
• membranes are dry.

How best to dry the kernels

Kernels free from shells and partitions can be dried in the sun by placing them on a suitable tray and stirring occasionally. The average duration of such drying is 2-3 days. You can also use the oven, setting the temperature in it to about + 50 ° C and spreading the nuts in a thin layer on a baking sheet.

It will take about 40 minutes, depending on the amount and the desired degree of roasting. Before direct use, a small amount of kernels can be dried in a heated frying pan with constant stirring.

How to store at home

Dried walnuts can be stored in wooden or plastic boxes, bags or nets. The container must be clean and dry. Containers should be placed in dry places with good ventilation, where the temperature is kept within +5…+10°C, and the air humidity is about 60%. In this form, fruits can be stored for up to 3 years.

Dried peeled kernels can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 year, in a pantry or basement for up to 4 months. Up to 3 years, nuts frozen at -18°C can retain their beneficial properties. After defrosting, the kernels are calcined in the oven or in a frying pan.

Compliance with the drying technology and temperature is necessary to ensure the taste properties of the nut. This process also significantly affects the subsequent storage of the product. Depending on the number of fruits and environmental conditions, you can choose the appropriate drying method for each particular farm.

Anatoly Trushkin

Hereditary peasant. Owner of a small rabbit farm

Articles written

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The southern plant is not whimsical, and its crop requires special care. For high-quality harvesting for long-term storage and getting the most out of the fruit, you need to know how to dry walnuts.

It is a high-calorie, rich in protein, iodine and vitamin product. It is used in combination with medicines for the treatment of many diseases.

The walnuts are harvested at the end of September. Maturity is determined by the green, slightly cracked shell. Harvesting begins with fallen nuts that have ripened earlier so that they do not have time to get wet on the ground. Those left on the tree should be shaken off. If you feel the shell of ripe fruits, it will be hard.

Each collected nut must be cleaned of the pericarp so that in the future the products do not turn black and are suitable for consumption. A fresh walnut contains about 40 percent moisture. To prevent rotting of the crop, the collection is thoroughly dried and stored, using throughout the year. To choose how to dry nuts, get acquainted with natural and artificial methods.

Natural drying method

The drying method affects how good the dried product will turn out and how long it will be stored. The natural method allows you to dry the nuts in the shell in the open air in the sun. It is not necessary to wash the harvested crop. If the fruits were washed, wipe dry. A cloth is spread on the ground, on which ripe nuts are scattered in one layer. It will take two or three weeks for the nuts to dry properly. So that dew and rain do not wet the crop, they bring it into the room at night and monitor the weather conditions. This method is easy, but outdated. With prolonged lying on the ground, harmful microorganisms can start in the fruits. If even a little moisture gets into the raw material, some of it may deteriorate, as well as the taste of nuts. The natural technique is used by conservative gardeners.

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There is a natural technique when the nuts are taken to dry not in the open space of the street, but in a drying shed, where there should be air circulation. The room in the process should be well ventilated.

You can use wooden lattice trays. Before drying walnuts, they are cleaned and sorted. Be sure to wash the nuts. It is better to lay out the products on the grids in one layer. Drawers or trays with products should be placed on the shelves of the rack. Each pallet must have good air flow. Dried fruits make an excellent nutritional supplement, they can be eaten as an independent product or planted in the spring.

Tip: To prevent walnuts from becoming moldy during drying and storage, you will need to monitor the humidity around the fruit; conditions are not dangerous at 5 or 8 percent of the indicator. To protect the workpiece from dampness, nuts scattered in mesh bags are left for a couple of days near the radiators.

Artificial drying methods

For carrying out the fire procedure, special bin dryers are used. Air enters the device naturally with the help of powerful fans. Nuts are processed with hot air and warmed up on each side. It'll take a couple of days.

For large volumes of raw materials, channel sieves can be used. The nuts are washed, wiped with a cloth and loaded into a device with heated air inside. Moving in sieves, the fruits dry out. It is necessary to dry in a fire way at a temperature regime of 55 or 57 degrees.

Oven and microwave for drying nuts

Experienced housewives know how to properly dry pine nuts at home. Walnuts and hazelnuts are also dried. The difference will be at what temperature the process occurs.

Drying nuts in the oven is permissible, preheating it to 90 degrees. The process will take two or two and a half hours. When the oven is turned off, the nuts remain until they have cooled.

Before placing the cleaned product in the electric oven, the baking sheets are covered with culinary foil, on which the raw materials are poured. You need to dry walnuts in the oven at 180 degrees for only 10 minutes. After five minutes, the raw material is stirred.

At home, small amounts of walnuts can be dried in the microwave. Unpeeled dried walnuts have a long shelf life.

Before you dry nuts without shells, you need to wash them. When the water drains, the fruits are placed in the mold in one layer. It is necessary to dry at an installed power of 750 watts. Enough 8 min. Microwave-dried walnuts last a couple of hours on a towel spread on the table. The kernels should have a light brownish tint.

Store walnuts preferably in a glass jar, cloth bags or cardboard boxes. The container will need to be washed and dried in advance. Plastic bags are not suitable, products will go rancid in them. Stored in the house for up to a year, kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 years.

Do you have a walnut in your garden yet?

The walnut is incredibly useful. In terms of vitamin content, it significantly exceeds many berries and fruits, and even meat in terms of calories, it contains almost 20% protein. It is recommended for nursing mothers to improve lactation. It has been established that if you eat walnuts regularly, the condition of the walls of blood vessels improves, and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease decreases. It turns out that it is also useful for the treatment of the thyroid gland due to the high content of iodine. And this is not all of its useful properties.

Walnut grows most fruitfully in the southern regions. It does not require special care, but you need to take care of the harvest. The fruits ripen in September, towards the end.

It is easy to determine the degree of maturity: as soon as the green shell begins to crack, the time has come.

Usually, those that are lower to the ground ripen first, and then fall off. Experienced walnut growers are advised to start collecting from them until they get wet from the ground. After that, they shake off those that remain on the tree. They can also be checked for maturity: there should be a hard shell under the green shell.

As soon as the crop is harvested, they begin to cut off the pericarp on each nut. If this is not done, the fruits will turn black and become unfit for food. It is important to note that a fresh walnut contains almost 40% moisture and is very susceptible to rotting. Therefore, the crop must be well dried and it will last until next year. So, the drying process can be carried out in two ways - natural and artificial.

Is it possible to dry a nut in a natural way?

The quality of the product and the duration of its storage depend on how the walnuts are dried. The method in which it dries under the influence of sunlight is considered natural. Usually some material is spread on the ground and ripe fruits are laid out on it in one layer. Within two or even three weeks they dry. But in this case, the crop is not immune from unexpected rains, as well as dew and other moisture. Now this method of drying walnuts is considered obsolete, because due to a long stay on the ground, there is a possibility of developing harmful microorganisms, and moisture can lead to damage to the fruit. The taste is also declining. This drying method is still used by conservative gardeners.

More advanced ones worry about the harvest and dry the nuts naturally, but in special rooms - drying sheds with good air circulation and well ventilated. For this, wooden trays-lattices are used. The walnut is cleaned, sorted and washed, after which it is laid out on trays in a single layer. Prepared boxes are stacked on special racks so that each one has free air access during the week. Dried nuts can be eaten and used for planting.

Often on sale you can find moldy fruits. And it does not depend on how the walnuts are dried. This means that their suppliers did not take care to minimize the humidity. 5-8% is considered safe. You can protect them from this in this way: place the fruits in mesh bags and put them for 2-3 days near a heated battery, excess moisture will go away.

Artificial drying - we process the nut correctly

Artificial drying of walnuts is also called fire drying. This procedure is carried out in special bin dryers with natural air flow. The bottom line is the use of special fans of high power. They direct hot air directly onto the fruits from all sides and warm them up. This method compares favorably with the natural one in that the drying process is reduced to a maximum of two days and can be carried out at any time of the year. And the physical strength of a person is spent less. On the other hand, this method requires more care and skill.

Man every year improves devices for drying nuts. Here, for example, are channel sieves on which fruits are loaded, and they move in heated air. While there is a movement from the starting point to the finish point, drying ends. It is important to dry the walnut correctly - with the fire method, observe the temperature of 55–57 ° C.

The above methods are applicable to large volumes. But at home, you can also dry the walnut to make its taste more intense.

If dried in the shell, the nut is stored longer even under not very favorable conditions. To dry, select only ripe fruits and place in an oven heated to 90 ° C for 2–2.5 hours. After turning off, leave it there until it cools completely.

Put the shelled nuts on a baking sheet covered with culinary foil so that they do not touch each other. Place in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. After 5 minutes have passed, stir in the nuts.

Another option for drying walnuts is in the microwave. To do this, you need to peel them from the shell, rinse and let the water drain. Then we put it in a form in one layer, set the power to 750 watts. 8 minutes will be enough. After that, spread the nuts on a towel for two hours. Well dried kernels should have a light brown color. The disadvantage of the method is that during drying in the microwave, the nuts click and can scatter into pieces due to moisture.

Any container is suitable for storing dried nuts - a glass jar, a bag, a cardboard box. Rinse the container in advance and dry well. It is not recommended to keep them in plastic bags, the fruits can go rancid and become tasteless. The optimal temperature for the best preservation of walnuts is 0–10°C, indoors for one year, in the refrigerator for up to four years. If the nut is dry, it's easy to fix: soak it in a mild salt water solution for five days.

The purchase of ready-made nuts can turn out to be a failure, after which you no longer want to use a tasty and healthy product. To prevent this from happening, there is nothing left but to dry the walnuts yourself. This is not as difficult as it seems, and the result of correctly performed manipulations will be to obtain an ingredient of the desired quality.

The easiest way is for owners of summer cottages where unpretentious trees are planted, they can dry nuts right in the shell. If the products have to be purchased, then it is better to procure them in a purified form, this will reduce the risk of a large number of defects.

How and when to harvest walnuts so that they are suitable for drying?

Even home-grown fruits can be disappointing if harvesting rules are not followed:

1. First of all, you need to collect the fruits that have fallen from the branches yourself. It’s not worth delaying with this, a long stay on wet ground leads to dampness inside the core and mold.
2. After the first harvest, you can shake the branches slightly. Only already ripened nuts will crumble from such an impact.
3. Walnuts are considered ripe if the green peel on the shell has burst on them. A whole shell indicates that the product is still green, even if it is lying on the ground.
4. First of all, the fruits that cover the lower branches of the tree ripen. If the nuts from the top have already begun to crumble, then all the nuts from the lower branches can be collected by hand.

Before drying walnuts, they must be peeled. This is a dirty, tedious and difficult task, but necessary. Manipulation must be performed with gloves. Then immediately proceed to one of the drying methods.

How to dry walnuts outdoors?

This is the best option for a bountiful harvest, which can take the form of one of the following approaches:

• Outdoors. A tarp or other waterproof fabric is spread on the ground. Pour the blanks on top and distribute them in an even layer. It will take several days for the fruits to dry. After sunset, the structure must be removed into the room, otherwise the dew will ruin the workpieces.
• In room. It should be warm, dry and well ventilated. With this approach, the products are first cleaned, washed in cold water, dried and sorted by size. Then we lay out the fruits on stands, it is better if they are lattices.

In extreme cases, the products can simply be laid out in one of the rooms of the apartment on a newspaper. But they will have to be turned over regularly to ensure uniform elaboration.

Features of drying nuts with a dryer and oven

With a special dryer, the process of harvesting walnuts at home is noticeably simplified. You just need to strictly follow the instructions on the device and control the degree of readiness of the products.

Tip: The procedure will not take more than 5-6 hours, however, with a large amount of nuts, you will have to do several approaches, and in the end, time savings will come to a minimum. Therefore, the dryer is best used on small volumes of product.

Larger batches of walnuts are easiest and fastest to dry in the oven. Manipulation consists of the following steps:

1. We clean the blanks, remove the peel, rinse and dry with a towel. After that, we sort the products, they need to be processed strictly according to size.
2. Products from one batch are laid out on a baking sheet and placed in an oven preheated to 40-45ºС. At this temperature, processing is carried out within 2-3 hours. We keep the cabinet door ajar at all times so that moisture does not circulate in the closed space, but exits.
3. About half an hour before the end of the term, we increase the temperature to 70ºС. Initially, it is highly recommended not to set the oven at a high temperature. Although the processing time will be reduced, the nut kernels will acquire an oily texture and an unpleasant aftertaste.
4. We check the nut for readiness by removing it from the shell. The edible part should easily break into pieces, but not crumble.

Having finished processing, we leave the nuts in the fresh air for another couple of hours so that the products “reach”. Then we pack it in cloth bags and send it to storage. The shelf life of such a blank is up to a year. Fruits can be stored for much longer, but their taste will gradually deteriorate.

How are shelled walnut kernels dried?

We split the purchased nuts, extracting kernels, clean them from all films and dirt, but do not wash them. If possible, we try not to break the products, as a whole, they will last longer. Next, the product is dried either on trays for 2-3 days, or in an oven at a low temperature until the desired degree of readiness.

If during processing the ingredients begin to emit an unpleasant odor or acquire a rancid taste, then it is better to throw them away. Such signs indicate a violation of the storage conditions of the product, it is simply dangerous to use it.

Cleaned products can be stored in canvas bags or sealed jars for no more than 3-4 months. The place should be dry and cool. If you need to extend the shelf life, then we shift the kernels into plastic bags and put them in the refrigerator.

Regardless of the type of processing and storage method, nuts must be taken out, sorted and dried at least once a month (it is possible on a battery). This will prevent the appearance of mold and preserve the pleasant taste of the product for a long time.

Check out the article on how to peel a pumpkin

Drying and storage of walnuts is an important point in the further preservation of the quality of the kernel, which affects the future commodity price of the product. In this article, we will find out how to dry in-shell walnuts in a variety of ways and at home, and also consider all the nuances of storing cooked raw materials.

When is the best time to collect

As soon as the harvest on the walnut tree approaches maturity, squirrels and various birds begin to hunt for it. In order to prevent the loss of nuts, and at the same time retain all the useful and nutritious properties in them, you should pay attention to the signs by which you can determine the right one in time. ripening phase:

• cracked green shell;
• tree foliage began to turn yellow;
• a fully mature fruit has a hard, light brown shell, and the core inside it should be moist and palpable by weight.

The type of nut grown is also important. Trees that bloom in springtime ripen by the end of summer and until mid-September, and June flowering nuts begin to ripen only by early October.

How to dry walnuts

In fact, drying in-shell walnuts at home is not at all difficult, you just need to follow some simple rules. How to properly carry out this process in various proven ways, including in the oven and in an electric dryer, read on.

Outdoors

Drying nuts in the fresh air involves the gradual implementation of the following steps:

In sunny weather:

1. On a free piece of land, it is necessary to spread any waterproof fabric, such as a tarp.
2. Further, the fruits selected and peeled from the green film are evenly laid out on the bedding cloth, always in one layer.
3. Now the nuts should be left to dry in the open sun for several days. With favorable weather, drying will take only 3-5 days.

It was this method that agronomists used for many years, until more modern methods appeared in the world. Its main disadvantage is the possibility of unforeseen precipitation and a sharp drop in air temperature.

In room:

Walnut fruits can be dried indoors without fear of adverse weather conditions. For this, as a rule, an attic is usually chosen:

1. The harvested crop is cleared of the pericarp.
2. Each nut is sorted by size and washed in cool water.
3. Then the raw materials are laid out on racks with a grate, which must be exposed to fresh air.

If the harvest of nuts is small, the entire collection can be dried in the apartment, after spreading newspapers on the floor. Fresh air in this case should also not be forgotten.

Detailed information on how dry and roast the walnuts well in the oven, looks like that:

1. The fruit, previously peeled from the green peel, must be sorted by size, washed and blotted from excess moisture with a clean towel.
2. Not forgetting the temperature at which nuts should be dried (this is 40-45 ° C), we select fruits of the same size, lay them out on a baking sheet and place them in the oven.
3. Drying should last no more than 3 hours, while the oven door should be slightly ajar.
4. After the appointed time, the temperature should be raised to 70 ° C and keep the nuts in the oven for about half an hour.
5. At the end of the process, hot foods must be removed from the oven and left in the air until completely cooled.

In an electric dryer

If there is a special device in the house - electric dryer, the process of drying nuts is greatly simplified. But even here it is necessary to follow the instructions attached to the device and constantly pay attention to the degree of readiness of the products.

The procedure itself takes, as a rule, only 5 hours, but the number of fruits should be minimal, otherwise they will have to be dried in several approaches.

How to check readiness

To check the readiness of dried walnuts, you should split the shells of at least two fruits and check their kernels. If they are “rubber” and wet, the rest of the nuts will need to be dried additionally. Otherwise, even under the right storage conditions, they can rot and become moldy. If the nucleoli have become fragile and have a thin skin, they are completely dried and ready for use or sale.

Storing walnuts at home

In the future, it is important to store cooked foods in such a way that they do not lose all their useful components and nutrients in the process. To do this, dry fruits are placed in baskets or mesh bags and stored darkened in a fairly cool place (for example, in a cellar). You can also freeze them. Under the right conditions, the products will keep their freshness for at least two years.

How to dry and store walnut kernels

You can dry walnut kernels in a simple and proven way. To begin with, they need to be removed from the shell, thoroughly cleaned of films and dirt. Can't be washed! Then the resulting whole products should dry on trays for two or three days

Nuts are a source of useful polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, microelements. In order to preserve this wealth, nuts must be stored properly. How to dry nuts at home, learn from this article.

How to dry nuts at home

What you need for drying

There are several types of proper drying of nuts, you should choose the most suitable for your conditions. Depending on the method, choose the appropriate inventory:

• a device for cracking nuts (if there is no special nut cracker, stock up on a bottle of champagne and a hammer);
• baking tray;
• pan;
• polished paper;
• kitchen spatula;
• dryer (if available);
• microwave;
• if the nuts are to be dried naturally, a clean cloth and gauze will be needed.

All devices are simple and can be found in the kitchen of every housewife.

We prepare raw materials

After the nuts are collected, it is necessary to clean them from the husk. Then they are laid out in a thin layer and allowed to lie down for a bit.

It is possible to dry in the shell, but this method requires a lot of storage space. It is more convenient to dry the kernels. To do this, we chop the nuts with a special device. If it is missing, place the nut, seam side up, on the neck of a champagne bottle and tap lightly. This method allows you to crack nuts quickly, leaving the kernels intact. The raw material is ready, we proceed to drying.

How to dry nuts

In the presence of a drying combine, we put the kernels in the compartments for raw materials, set the temperature to no more than 90ºС, and dry for about 5 hours.

Under natural conditions, those who live in a private house can afford drying. To do this, you will need a clean cloth and a well-ventilated sunny place. Nuts are laid out in one layer on a cloth and placed in the sun. Turn your crop several times throughout the day. Thus, it will take about a week to lay out and turn the nuts.

Before drying nuts in the oven, it is necessary to heat it up to 150ºС. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the nuts in a single layer. Dry for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The southern plant is not whimsical, and its crop requires special care. For high-quality harvesting for long-term storage and getting the maximum benefit from the fruit, you need to know how to dry walnuts.

It is a high-calorie, rich in protein, iodine and vitamin product. It is used in combination with medicines for the treatment of many diseases.

Nut collection

The walnuts are harvested at the end of September. Maturity is determined by the green, slightly cracked shell. Harvesting begins with fallen nuts that have ripened before, so that they do not have time to get wet on the ground. Those left on the tree should be shaken off. If you feel the shell of ripe fruits, it will be hard.

Each collected nut must be cleaned of the pericarp so that in the future the products do not turn black and are suitable for consumption. A fresh walnut contains about 40 percent moisture. To prevent rotting of the crop, the collection is thoroughly dried and stored, using throughout the year. To choose how to dry nuts, get acquainted with natural and artificial methods.

Natural drying method

The drying method affects how good the dried product will turn out and how long it will be stored. The natural method allows you to dry the nuts in the shell in the open air in the sun. It is not necessary to wash the harvested crop. If the fruits were washed, wipe dry. A cloth is spread on the ground, on which ripe nuts are scattered in one layer. It will take two or three weeks for the nuts to dry properly. So that dew and rain do not wet the crop, they bring it into the room at night and monitor the weather conditions. This method is easy, but outdated. With prolonged lying on the ground, harmful microorganisms can start in the fruits. If even a little moisture gets into the raw material, some of it may deteriorate, as well as the taste of nuts. The natural technique is used by conservative gardeners.

There is a natural technique when the nuts are taken to dry not in the open space of the street, but in a drying shed, where there should be air circulation. The room in the process should be well ventilated.

You can use wooden lattice trays. Before drying walnuts, they are cleaned and sorted. Be sure to wash the nuts. It is better to lay out the products on the grids in one layer. Drawers or trays with products should be placed on the shelves of the rack. Each pallet must have good air flow. Dried fruits make an excellent nutritional supplement, they can be eaten as an independent product or planted in the spring.

Tip: To prevent walnuts from becoming moldy during drying and storage, you will need to monitor the humidity around the fruit; conditions are not dangerous at 5 or 8 percent of the indicator. To protect the workpiece from dampness, nuts scattered in mesh bags are left for a couple of days near the radiators.

Artificial drying methods

For carrying out the fire procedure, special bin dryers are used. Air enters the device naturally with the help of powerful fans. Nuts are processed with hot air and warmed up on each side. It'll take a couple of days.

For large volumes of raw materials, channel sieves can be used. The nuts are washed, wiped with a cloth and loaded into a device with heated air inside. Moving in sieves, the fruits dry out. It is necessary to dry in a fire way at a temperature regime of 55 or 57 degrees.

Oven and microwave for drying nuts

Experienced housewives know how to properly dry pine nuts at home. Walnuts and hazelnuts are also dried. The difference will be at what temperature the process occurs.

Drying nuts in the oven is permissible, preheating it to 90 degrees. The process will take two or two and a half hours. When the oven is turned off, the nuts remain until they have cooled.

Before placing the cleaned product in the electric oven, the baking sheets are covered with culinary foil, on which the raw materials are poured. You need to dry walnuts in the oven at 180 degrees for only 10 minutes. After five minutes, the raw material is stirred.

At home, small amounts of walnuts can be dried in the microwave. Unpeeled dried walnuts have a long shelf life.

Before you dry nuts without shells, you need to wash them. When the water drains, the fruits are placed in the mold in one layer. It is necessary to dry at an installed power of 750 watts. Enough 8 min. Microwave-dried walnuts last a couple of hours on a towel spread on the table. The kernels should have a light brownish tint.

Store walnuts preferably in a glass jar, cloth bags or cardboard boxes. The container will need to be washed and dried in advance. Plastic bags are not suitable, products will go rancid in them. Stored in the house for up to a year, kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 years.